The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez

Remember when your mum would slaver on her thumb and wipe your face?

I thought that was child abuse.

Remember when your mum gave you supper, then sent you to a cosy bed when you didn't want to go?

I thought that was child abuse.

Remember when she tried to get you out of it in the morning to eat a nice breakfast before school?

I thought that was child abuse.

Remember when your mum shouted you in for a beautiful home cooked meal half way through an 'important' kick about with your mates?

I thought that was child abuse. 

My auntie even made me eat small bits of peppers on a pizza.

That's surely child abuse, right?

I didn't want to watch The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Because it's sad. Heartbreaking. Brutal. But as i flicked past it on Netflix, and saw those big eyes staring at me, it felt like he wanted me to hear his story.

And let's be honest, feeling upset is nothing compared to what the poor wee fella went through. So Saturday night, after Louis was tucked up safe in his bed and asleep, i hit play on episode 1.

Fuck me!

He stood in class and asked his teacher if it was normal for a mum to hit their kids with a belt. And was it normal to bleed after she did it, since it was the metal bit!

Now to me, that's where this story should end. Unfortunately, it's just the beginning.

Regular beatings.
Fag burns all over him. 
Chunks of hair missing.
Forced to eat cat litter.
Pepper sprayed in the bath.
Teeth smashed out with a baseball bat.
Shot in the face & genitals with a BB gun.
Tied up, gagged & locked in a cupboard nicknamed 'the box'. Often overnight.

And through all this he's telling his teacher who's calling the social worker to report it. She visits, Gabriel is forced to say it was an accident, and the social worker believes it. 

4 social workers were involved throughout and everyone of them made an arse of it. Saying there wasn't enough evidence to remove him from the home.

The kid stood in school crying, not wanting to get the bus home.

8 different cops were at the boys home yet they all made an arse of it. So much so they went round one morning and took Gabriel into the back of the car to 'scare him' into not lying about his abuse.

A guard in the benefits office saw him and thought something was wrong. He spoke to his superiors and was told to ignore it so they didn't have to pay over time. A co worker wouldn't get involved incase she lost her job.

Holy fuck!

I feel sick just writing this. And angry. Furious.

But the 8 months of torture was finally about to end. This poor wee soul just had to endure one last beating. 

On the 22th May, 2013, Gabriel's little 4 stone, 4ft 1' frame was about to take it's last breath as he took 10 punches to the face and another 20 to the body when his 19 stone, 6ft 2' step father flew into a fit of rage, fracturing his skull and breaking most of his ribs.

After being rushed to hospital, they turned off little Gabriel's life support 2 days later.

Finally. Peace. No more suffering.

The autopsy took 2 days due to all the injuries. The thymus gland was barely there — a normal boy’s gland weighs about 100 grams, while Gabriel’s was about 10 grams. The coroner said this was due to stress atrophy, with all the abuse inflicted on the boy.

Then, nearly as bad as the attacks and all those people missing what was going on, is the fact they were scrambling about to cover their own arses. 

Cover ups & falsifying records of their negligence and recklessness. Unbelievable!

The step father got the death sentence. The mother got life. Cops were disciplined, social workers had charges against them which were later dropped.

And 2 weeks after the trial had ended, the lawyer got a call to say the exact same thing had happened again. This time to a 10 year old boy!

But there's one part to this whole story, nobody really mentioned much of.

Gabriel's Dad!

The series finished with the lawyer consoling the dad who was no doubt, absolutely devastated. And i'd imagine full of guilt an dregret because as this was happening, he was completely unaware...

Because he was in jail!

Of course he won't be punished by the law as he's done nothing wrong but surely your basic duties as a father is to protect your kids as best as you can?

Even if he only has Gabriel at the weekend, every second weekend, he sees what's happening and it stops.

I'm sitting with Louis this morning, in our goons, watching a bit of Curious George on the little tele with 1 ear bud each (his choice) and he's cuddled in to me. I'm looking at him thinking if there was any hint of somebody abusing him, surely i'm gonna know.

It's my fucking business to know!

If he goes to nursery with a bruise on his leg i'm worried they'll think he's abused.

Seems ok in LA though, you have to actually beat your child to death and call an ambulance before the LA County Department of Children and Family Services actually realise there IS something wrong!

Anyway, as much as he was let down by everyone, there's nothing we can do for the poor little guy now. Only make sure you do the best by your little ones which i'm pretty sure you do, or you wouldn't be on our website!

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